Syrian opposition groups say the regime
turned tanks and guns on residents of Homs, killing more than 200 people
on the 30th anniversary of a massacre in Hama under then-President
Hafez Assad.

A young boy carries the flag
of Syrian rebels during an anti-regime demonstration in a village
southwest of Homs.
(Alessio Romenzi, AFP/Getty Images / February 3, 2012)

By Patrick J. McDonnell and Alexandra Sandels, Los Angeles Times

February 4, 2012

Reporting from Beirut—

Even as Syrian activists on Friday commemorated an atrocity from their past, the regime of Bashar Assad
was turning tanks and guns on residents of the central city of Homs,
reportedly killing more than 200 people and wounding scores,
anti-government groups said early Saturday.
Demonstrators had taken to the streets across Syria
on Friday to pay homage to an earlier generation of revolutionaries:
Islamic activists crushed 30 years ago in the city of Hama by the
government of the late President Hafez Assad.
But early Saturday, opposition activists began reporting that government forces had launched a large-scale assault on Homs.
The
attack came as the U.N. Security Council prepares to vote on a draft
resolution backing an Arab call for Bashar Assad to give up power.
Syrian
authorities denied that any massacre took place in Homs, alleging a
campaign of “distortion, falsification and instigation” and saying that
footage of corpses said to be bombardment victims was in fact showing
the remains of “innocent citizens” killed by “armed terrorist groups.”
During
the day Friday, the collective slogan that demonstrators had hoisted on
banners and repeated in chants was "Hama, forgive us." It was a
reference to the city where, human rights activists say, Syrian forces
in February 1982 slaughtered more than 10,000 people and flattened much
of the old city. It was the brutal denouement of a crackdown targeting
the opposition Muslim Brotherhood.
The Islamist group had waged a
bloody campaign of assassinations and guerrilla war against the secular
regime of the elder Assad. The Hama massacre in effect routed the
Islamist resistance.
The subject of the notorious massacre has
been taboo in Syria for years, but the episode has become a periodic
rallying cry during the 10-month-plus rebellion against President Bashar
Assad, who succeeded his father.
In Hama, anti-government
activists said, protesters spread red paint — symbolizing the blood of
those killed 30 years ago — in the streets and poured it into the
Orontes River.
"I myself feel proud today," said one Hama resident
reached by telephone, who added that the stigma of 1982 had long
haunted the city's people. "Before, I was scared to say I was from Hama,
scared to be accused of being a terrorist," said the activist, who for
security reasons gave his name only as Joseph.
But the evocation
of Hama can cut different ways in the complex context of today's
rebellion in Syria. The Assad regime has portrayed the current revolt as
a Muslim Brotherhood-hatched uprising of religious militants, that is, a
kind of reprise of the '82 unrest crushed by Hafez Assad.
An
Islamist takeover is a chilling prospect for Christians and other
minorities in Syria, where Sunni Muslims are in the majority. Much of
Bashar Assad's support comes from minority communities, including his
own Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
While hailing the
"martyrs" of 1982, today's anti-government activists insist that the
current rebellion is an all-inclusive movement that seeks a democratic
government in Damascus. Organizers deny a sectarian agenda and accuse
the Assad regime of stoking sectarian tensions.
Still, the
uprising seems rooted largely in a Sunni Muslim community that has
chafed for years under the control of Assad's Alawite sect, which
dominates much of the military and security services.
In Homs, the
embattled rebel stronghold south of Hama, opposition advocates said
several thousand people joined protests Friday. "We should remember
them," one activist said by phone, speaking of those killed in Hama in
1982.
Videos online suggested that many protesters heeded
activists' request that they wear black to commemorate those killed 30
years ago.
But later, Al Jazeera,
the pan-Arab satellite news service, reported that "dozens" died in an
offensive that began late Friday against the Homs neighborhood of
Khaldiyeh in which tanks, mortars and heavy machine guns were employed.
Two main opposition groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees, claimed as many as
217 were killed and hundreds injured. There was no independent
confirmation of the death toll.
Elsewhere in Syria on Friday, the
opposition groups said at least 28 people were killed as clashes
continued between security forces and armed rebels, including defectors
from Assad's military.
The official government news agency
reported that two children were killed and a third injured when a
"terrorist" bomb exploded in northern Idlib province, another hotbed of
resistance to Assad's rule.
The United Nations
estimates that more than 5,000 people have died in Syria since the
rebellion began in March. The government says more than 2,000 security
personnel have been killed
Meanwhile, Russia
denied reports Friday that a "secret deal" had been reached on a
revised United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria. Russia has
vowed to block a resolution backed by the Arab League and Western
nations, including the United States, condemning the Assad regime and
calling on the Syrian president to turn over power to a deputy who would
organize a democratic transition.
Backers of the Arab League plan had hope, after two days of council negotiations, that Moscow
might endorse the resolution. But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
Gennady Gatilov said in Moscow that changes added this week to water
down the resolution were "not enough for us," the official Interfax news
service reported.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is to
discuss the resolution with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a
high-level international meeting Saturday in Munich, Germany. Diplomats
said a Security Council vote could come soon, perhaps as early as this
weekend.patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.comSandels is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Paul Richter in Washington contributed to this report.

Novosti2012-02-04:
At least 217 people have been killed in a new major army offensive in the central Syrian city of Homs, Al-Jazeera reported on Saturday citing UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The government forces used tanks, artillery and mortars in the early morning attack on the...
more »

The UN Security Council has agreed it wants to avoid
military intervention in Syria - but differences remain over the way
ahead. The US - as well as its European and Arab allies - want President
Assad out of power. For its part, Russia says the UN shouldn't be used
as a platform for ex...

The UN Security Council
has agreed it wants to avoid military intervention in Syria - but
differences remain over the way ahead. The US - as well as its European
and Arab allies - want President Assad out of power. For its part,
Russia says the UN shouldn't be used as a platform for excessive
interference in Syrian affairs. Neil Clark, a journalist and contributor
to the Guardian, believes that Russia's stance on Syria has much more
international support than one may assume. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT
on Facebook www.facebook.com

The UN Security Council
has agreed it wants to avoid military intervention in Syria - but
differences remain over the way ahead. The US - as well as its European
and Arab allies - want President Assad out of power. For its part,
Russia says the UN shouldn't be used as a platform for excessive
interference in Syrian affairs. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

The Arab League has
confirmed it is suspending its monitoring mission in Syria because of
"the critical deterioration of the situation". The pan-Arab bloc also
says it is holding talks with Russia - one of the main opponents of the
Arab League peace plan - ahead of a United Nations meeting in New York
on Monday. The main Syrian opposition group says it will go to the UN to
appeal for protection from President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Al
Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon.

Russia's Ambassador to
the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said an embargo on arms supplies to
Syria is out of the question -- along with any resolution that could
threaten to aggravate conflict in the country. Churkin, speaking to
journalists via video link, spoke out strongly against a possible arms
embargo on Syria, citing some countries' refusal to condemn the armed
groups operating there, and the continued risk of weapons supplies
reaching these groups despite any ban. When most nations talk about
sovereignty, they seem to think that "sovereignty is good for friends"
while "compliance is good for enemies," believes Benjamin Barber, a
senior fellow at the American think-tank Demos. RT on Twitter
twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

The dust has still not
settled in the suburbs of Damascus, which in recent days has seen some
of the fiercest fighting, claiming scores of lives. And as the unrest
runs high, Moscow has offered itself as a stage for dialogue between the
regime and the opposition, who are currently rejecting talks with
President Assad. The idea of the Syrian opposition dancing to the
foreign drum is shared by John R. Bradley, author of the book 'After the
Arab Spring'. He says NATO members are committed to toppling the regime
to make Iran their next target. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on
Facebook www.facebook.com

Thousands of people have
held anti-government protests in Syria, chanting for the downfall of the
government. At least 12 people were killed by security forces across
the country, activists said. The reported violence comes two days before
an Arab League meeting in Cairo to decide the future of its observer
mission in Syria. Opposition and human rights group say the mission is a
failure and want the case referred to the UN. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr
reports.

Arab League officials
have decided their team of monitors will continue to work inside Syria
for another month. The group also intends to increase the number of
observers and they'll receive training by the UN. The mission expired
this week, but violence is still flaring up in the country. In one of
the latest outbreaks, 14 people were killed when a police car,
transporting prisoners, was ambushed in the north-west. And RT's Sara
Firth's been to the town of Zabadani, which has seen some of the
fiercest battles between security forces and armed opposition groups.
And for more on the situation around Syria - RT talks to Alastair
Crooke, a Former EU Middle East Mediator and Director of the Conflicts
Forum in Beirut. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

Has Assad reached the
point of no return? And who will take advantage of it? Will the
opposition forces really be able to take a grip on power? Or are they
too weak to defend Syria against Assad? And therefore will they continue
to woo the international community? Is there a case for a no-fly zone,
this time in Syria? And what are the expectations of those who spearhead
military action? CrossTalking with Majid Rafizadeh and Ivan Eland on
Jan. 13. CT on FB: www.facebook.com

Former Libyan rebels are
now chanting for Syrians to follow their revolutionary path. Hundreds of
mercenaries, some of whom are said to be former terrorists, are ready
to pick up arms again to help overthrow President Assad. RT on Twitter
twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

The Arab League has
renewed calls for the Syrian government to end bloodshed and allow more
observers in the country. But the group, monitoring the implementation
of a peace plan, stopped short of asking the UN for help. The Arab
League mission itself has been heavily criticised for failing to stop
the violence. And, as RT's Sara Firth reports, many in the country say
they're paying too high a price for change. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT
on Facebook www.facebook.com

Syria's military appears
to be intensifying its attacks on anti-government protesters following
the Arab League's decision to end its peace mission in the country
beacuse of the escalating violence. Activists say at least 98 people
were killed across Syria on Saturday and so far on Sunday, seven more
people have been killed - including a small child. Syrian state TV is
showing pictures of what is says is the aftermath of a bomb blast by
terrorist gangs in Damascus. Al Jazeera has been banned from reporting
inside Syria, so from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon, Zeina Khodr
reports.

Russia wants to ensure
the UN doesn't sanction a military intervention in Syria. The United
States and its European allies want the Syrian regime targeted, and
President Assad out. The Kremlin also rebuffed calls from Qatar to send
in Arab League forces. RT gets some analysis from Beirut-based Middle
East affairs expert, Ali Rizk. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

Members of the Free
Syrian Army say they have taken hostage seven Iranians, five of whom
were allegedly soldiers complicit in the Syrian government's military
crackdown on protesters in the opposition-controlled city of Homs. The
Farouk Brigade of the FSA, an umbrella group of members of the country's
security forces who defected to protect civilians from the government's
attacks, say they will not release the hostages until the government
frees a defected army officer and stops the prolonged military siege on
Homs. A video released by the FSA fighters purports to show five of
captured Iranians and their identity cards, which allegedly reveal that
they are part of Iran's security forces. The defected troops say the
other two hostages were civilians. The video appears to show the
hostages admitting to operating as snipers targeting civilians under the
direct supervision of Syria's Air Force Security unit. The Syrian
National Council, a leading opposition group, says the development helps
confirm many reports from refugees fleeing the country's violence and
from activists within Syria, that the Iranian government, a close ally
of Damascus, has been logistically backing the 10-month crackdown that
has claimed thousands of civilian lives across the country. But there
are concerns over the veracity of the FSA's claims that the five
hostages are actually soldiers. According to a report by Al Jazeera's
Nicole Johnston, all the five names of the hostages appear to match the
names ...

Syrian opposition
activists claim that more than 60 people have been killed during the
latest outbreak of violence. That is against a backdrop of the reported
advance of armed Syrian anti-regime fighters towards the capital
Damascus. The National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, one
of the leading opposition groups, remains adamant that foreign military
intervention would make an already deteriorating situation even worse.
This lack of unity among opposition factions has hampered the growing
calls for direct UN involvement. Russia and China, however, remain
firmly opposed to a resolution that would leave the door open to foreign
military intervention. Don Debar, anti-war activist and journalist
talks to RT suggesting the latest UN Security Council resolution does
not uphold the right of the Syrian people to choose their own
leadership. RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com RT on Twitter: twitter.com

Could the country's
economic decline, spurred on by the protests, pose a graver challenge to
al-Assad than the uprising? Inside Syria discusses with guests: Samir
Seifan, Ammar Waqqaf and Mona Yacoubian.

Moscow has accused the
west of stirring up tensions in the Arab world by calling for the
overthrow of the Syrian regime. Russia says calls from certain states
for the Syrian opposition to avoid dialogue with the government, are
only provoking further violence. Author and journalist Webster Tarpley,
who's in Damascus, says, it's very simple, western powers are behind the
violence in Syria. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

Attack on Iran designed
to create a series of wars leading to the US military defeat, then
Israel has to help, that is the plan. Research should be conducted into
these natural disasters happening around the world, as they may not all
be natural, and the Sheik is concerned that a man-made earthquake made
under the Al-Asqa mosque, to prepare for the rebuilding of the Judaic
temple. The Zionists now have the heart of a beast. Some discussion on
Jews and the banking system. Iran's partnership with Russia is a sign
from the Koran which talks about an alliance between Muslims and Eastern
Orthodox Christians. Syrian Govt unlikely to survive the Zionist
onslaught that is underway, the best solution is for the opposition to
align itself with Russia, and therefore allow Russia to mediate between
all sides. An alliance needs to be formed of like minded people, under
Chavez in Venezuela, to network with each other, to plan to introduce
real money and more, Gold and Silver coins. This is Part 2

As the Arab League meets
to discuss its next move in Syria, we ask which options it should pursue
to end the violence. Inside Syria discusses with guests: Najib
Ghadbian, Anoushka Kurkjian and Bassam Abu Abdullah.

Russia has opposed the
new Arab-European draft resolution on Syria presented by Morocco in the
UN Security Council on Friday. Russia's ambassador to the UN says it
will continue to search for ways to end the ongoing bloodshed there. As
RT's Marina Portnaya reports from New York, Russia's ambassador to the
UN, Vitaly Churkin, expressed "deep" disappointment with the draft,
indicating that he does not believe that the international community
should impose an outside solution on the Syrian conflict. He also
rejected the idea of an arms embargo or the use of force being imposed
on Syria. RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com RT on Twitter: twitter.com

As armed conflict between
the Syrian government and the opposition rages inside Syria, defected
soldiers are organising themselves outside the country. Fighters from
the "Martyrs of Tell Kalakh Brigade", named after the town in western
Syria the defected soldiers fled in August, say they are launching
attacks on government checkpoints from a village in northern Lebanon.
They target troops and government-backed "thugs" they accuse of beating,
arresting and killing protesters. The men say their brigade
communicates with others in Lebanon and southeastern Turkey that have
come together under what they call the "Free Syrian Army". With the
major opposition Syrian National Council now supporting the defector
army, they say their power is growing. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports
from northern Lebanon.

Arab League observers are
due to arrive in Syria on Thursday as part of a plan to halt violence.
That is after one of the bloodiest weeks since the beginning of the
unrest, with more than 200 people having been killed in the last few
days. The US has renewed its call for President Assad to step down,
warning of new international measures unless it withdraws security
forces from the streets. Syria is already suffering under a set of
sanctions. Sibel Edmonds, founder of the National Security
Whistleblowers Coalition, says sanctions will only provoke violence in
Syria, causing deeper restlessness in the conflict-ridden country. RT on
Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

Russia has repeatedly
blocked efforts towards a UN resolution that could pave the way for
intervention in Syria's 10-month crackdown on protesters. Moscow, a
long-standing ally of Damascus and veto-wielding member of the UN, says
it fears NATO intervention in Syria would result in another Libya-like
scenario and could destabilise the region. Western countries accuse
Russia, which continues to sell heavy weapons to its close Arab friend,
of failing to "uphold human rights" by backing the government's military
offensive, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives across the
country. Al Jazeera's Neave Barker reports from Moscow on the enduring
alliance between the two countries.

Marwan Bishara, Al
Jazeera's senior political analyst, talks about the situation in Syria
after one Arab monitor quit the team saying "the mission was a farce".
Bishara says: "The sort of individual declarations by [Arab League]team
members is not exactly the most professional thing I have seen before."
"If the observers' mission fails because the violence continues, then
this is another reason why the Arabs and their allies could go to
Security Council." "In the worst case scenario, if they fail in the
coming weeks or days, it goes to the Security Council in a far stronger
way," he said.

The UN Security Council has agreed it wants to avoid
military intervention in Syria - but differences remain over the way
ahead. The US - as well as its European and Arab allies - want President
Assad out of power. For its part, Russia says the UN shouldn't be used
as a platform for ex...

The UN Security Council
has agreed it wants to avoid military intervention in Syria - but
differences remain over the way ahead. The US - as well as its European
and Arab allies - want President Assad out of power. For its part,
Russia says the UN shouldn't be used as a platform for excessive
interference in Syrian affairs. Neil Clark, a journalist and contributor
to the Guardian, believes that Russia's stance on Syria has much more
international support than one may assume. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT
on Facebook www.facebook.com

The UN Security Council
has agreed it wants to avoid military intervention in Syria - but
differences remain over the way ahead. The US - as well as its European
and Arab allies - want President Assad out of power. For its part,
Russia says the UN shouldn't be used as a platform for excessive
interference in Syrian affairs. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

The Arab League has
confirmed it is suspending its monitoring mission in Syria because of
"the critical deterioration of the situation". The pan-Arab bloc also
says it is holding talks with Russia - one of the main opponents of the
Arab League peace plan - ahead of a United Nations meeting in New York
on Monday. The main Syrian opposition group says it will go to the UN to
appeal for protection from President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Al
Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon.

Russia's Ambassador to
the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said an embargo on arms supplies to
Syria is out of the question -- along with any resolution that could
threaten to aggravate conflict in the country. Churkin, speaking to
journalists via video link, spoke out strongly against a possible arms
embargo on Syria, citing some countries' refusal to condemn the armed
groups operating there, and the continued risk of weapons supplies
reaching these groups despite any ban. When most nations talk about
sovereignty, they seem to think that "sovereignty is good for friends"
while "compliance is good for enemies," believes Benjamin Barber, a
senior fellow at the American think-tank Demos. RT on Twitter
twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

The dust has still not
settled in the suburbs of Damascus, which in recent days has seen some
of the fiercest fighting, claiming scores of lives. And as the unrest
runs high, Moscow has offered itself as a stage for dialogue between the
regime and the opposition, who are currently rejecting talks with
President Assad. The idea of the Syrian opposition dancing to the
foreign drum is shared by John R. Bradley, author of the book 'After the
Arab Spring'. He says NATO members are committed to toppling the regime
to make Iran their next target. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on
Facebook www.facebook.com

Thousands of people have
held anti-government protests in Syria, chanting for the downfall of the
government. At least 12 people were killed by security forces across
the country, activists said. The reported violence comes two days before
an Arab League meeting in Cairo to decide the future of its observer
mission in Syria. Opposition and human rights group say the mission is a
failure and want the case referred to the UN. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr
reports.

Arab League officials
have decided their team of monitors will continue to work inside Syria
for another month. The group also intends to increase the number of
observers and they'll receive training by the UN. The mission expired
this week, but violence is still flaring up in the country. In one of
the latest outbreaks, 14 people were killed when a police car,
transporting prisoners, was ambushed in the north-west. And RT's Sara
Firth's been to the town of Zabadani, which has seen some of the
fiercest battles between security forces and armed opposition groups.
And for more on the situation around Syria - RT talks to Alastair
Crooke, a Former EU Middle East Mediator and Director of the Conflicts
Forum in Beirut. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

Has Assad reached the
point of no return? And who will take advantage of it? Will the
opposition forces really be able to take a grip on power? Or are they
too weak to defend Syria against Assad? And therefore will they continue
to woo the international community? Is there a case for a no-fly zone,
this time in Syria? And what are the expectations of those who spearhead
military action? CrossTalking with Majid Rafizadeh and Ivan Eland on
Jan. 13. CT on FB: www.facebook.com

Former Libyan rebels are
now chanting for Syrians to follow their revolutionary path. Hundreds of
mercenaries, some of whom are said to be former terrorists, are ready
to pick up arms again to help overthrow President Assad. RT on Twitter
twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

The Arab League has
renewed calls for the Syrian government to end bloodshed and allow more
observers in the country. But the group, monitoring the implementation
of a peace plan, stopped short of asking the UN for help. The Arab
League mission itself has been heavily criticised for failing to stop
the violence. And, as RT's Sara Firth reports, many in the country say
they're paying too high a price for change. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT
on Facebook www.facebook.com

Syria's military appears
to be intensifying its attacks on anti-government protesters following
the Arab League's decision to end its peace mission in the country
beacuse of the escalating violence. Activists say at least 98 people
were killed across Syria on Saturday and so far on Sunday, seven more
people have been killed - including a small child. Syrian state TV is
showing pictures of what is says is the aftermath of a bomb blast by
terrorist gangs in Damascus. Al Jazeera has been banned from reporting
inside Syria, so from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon, Zeina Khodr
reports.

Russia wants to ensure
the UN doesn't sanction a military intervention in Syria. The United
States and its European allies want the Syrian regime targeted, and
President Assad out. The Kremlin also rebuffed calls from Qatar to send
in Arab League forces. RT gets some analysis from Beirut-based Middle
East affairs expert, Ali Rizk. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

Members of the Free
Syrian Army say they have taken hostage seven Iranians, five of whom
were allegedly soldiers complicit in the Syrian government's military
crackdown on protesters in the opposition-controlled city of Homs. The
Farouk Brigade of the FSA, an umbrella group of members of the country's
security forces who defected to protect civilians from the government's
attacks, say they will not release the hostages until the government
frees a defected army officer and stops the prolonged military siege on
Homs. A video released by the FSA fighters purports to show five of
captured Iranians and their identity cards, which allegedly reveal that
they are part of Iran's security forces. The defected troops say the
other two hostages were civilians. The video appears to show the
hostages admitting to operating as snipers targeting civilians under the
direct supervision of Syria's Air Force Security unit. The Syrian
National Council, a leading opposition group, says the development helps
confirm many reports from refugees fleeing the country's violence and
from activists within Syria, that the Iranian government, a close ally
of Damascus, has been logistically backing the 10-month crackdown that
has claimed thousands of civilian lives across the country. But there
are concerns over the veracity of the FSA's claims that the five
hostages are actually soldiers. According to a report by Al Jazeera's
Nicole Johnston, all the five names of the hostages appear to match the
names ...

Syrian opposition
activists claim that more than 60 people have been killed during the
latest outbreak of violence. That is against a backdrop of the reported
advance of armed Syrian anti-regime fighters towards the capital
Damascus. The National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, one
of the leading opposition groups, remains adamant that foreign military
intervention would make an already deteriorating situation even worse.
This lack of unity among opposition factions has hampered the growing
calls for direct UN involvement. Russia and China, however, remain
firmly opposed to a resolution that would leave the door open to foreign
military intervention. Don Debar, anti-war activist and journalist
talks to RT suggesting the latest UN Security Council resolution does
not uphold the right of the Syrian people to choose their own
leadership. RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com RT on Twitter: twitter.com

Could the country's
economic decline, spurred on by the protests, pose a graver challenge to
al-Assad than the uprising? Inside Syria discusses with guests: Samir
Seifan, Ammar Waqqaf and Mona Yacoubian.

Moscow has accused the
west of stirring up tensions in the Arab world by calling for the
overthrow of the Syrian regime. Russia says calls from certain states
for the Syrian opposition to avoid dialogue with the government, are
only provoking further violence. Author and journalist Webster Tarpley,
who's in Damascus, says, it's very simple, western powers are behind the
violence in Syria. RT on Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook
www.facebook.com

Attack on Iran designed
to create a series of wars leading to the US military defeat, then
Israel has to help, that is the plan. Research should be conducted into
these natural disasters happening around the world, as they may not all
be natural, and the Sheik is concerned that a man-made earthquake made
under the Al-Asqa mosque, to prepare for the rebuilding of the Judaic
temple. The Zionists now have the heart of a beast. Some discussion on
Jews and the banking system. Iran's partnership with Russia is a sign
from the Koran which talks about an alliance between Muslims and Eastern
Orthodox Christians. Syrian Govt unlikely to survive the Zionist
onslaught that is underway, the best solution is for the opposition to
align itself with Russia, and therefore allow Russia to mediate between
all sides. An alliance needs to be formed of like minded people, under
Chavez in Venezuela, to network with each other, to plan to introduce
real money and more, Gold and Silver coins. This is Part 2

As the Arab League meets
to discuss its next move in Syria, we ask which options it should pursue
to end the violence. Inside Syria discusses with guests: Najib
Ghadbian, Anoushka Kurkjian and Bassam Abu Abdullah.

Russia has opposed the
new Arab-European draft resolution on Syria presented by Morocco in the
UN Security Council on Friday. Russia's ambassador to the UN says it
will continue to search for ways to end the ongoing bloodshed there. As
RT's Marina Portnaya reports from New York, Russia's ambassador to the
UN, Vitaly Churkin, expressed "deep" disappointment with the draft,
indicating that he does not believe that the international community
should impose an outside solution on the Syrian conflict. He also
rejected the idea of an arms embargo or the use of force being imposed
on Syria. RT on Facebook: www.facebook.com RT on Twitter: twitter.com

As armed conflict between
the Syrian government and the opposition rages inside Syria, defected
soldiers are organising themselves outside the country. Fighters from
the "Martyrs of Tell Kalakh Brigade", named after the town in western
Syria the defected soldiers fled in August, say they are launching
attacks on government checkpoints from a village in northern Lebanon.
They target troops and government-backed "thugs" they accuse of beating,
arresting and killing protesters. The men say their brigade
communicates with others in Lebanon and southeastern Turkey that have
come together under what they call the "Free Syrian Army". With the
major opposition Syrian National Council now supporting the defector
army, they say their power is growing. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports
from northern Lebanon.

Arab League observers are
due to arrive in Syria on Thursday as part of a plan to halt violence.
That is after one of the bloodiest weeks since the beginning of the
unrest, with more than 200 people having been killed in the last few
days. The US has renewed its call for President Assad to step down,
warning of new international measures unless it withdraws security
forces from the streets. Syria is already suffering under a set of
sanctions. Sibel Edmonds, founder of the National Security
Whistleblowers Coalition, says sanctions will only provoke violence in
Syria, causing deeper restlessness in the conflict-ridden country. RT on
Twitter twitter.com RT on Facebook www.facebook.com

Russia has repeatedly
blocked efforts towards a UN resolution that could pave the way for
intervention in Syria's 10-month crackdown on protesters. Moscow, a
long-standing ally of Damascus and veto-wielding member of the UN, says
it fears NATO intervention in Syria would result in another Libya-like
scenario and could destabilise the region. Western countries accuse
Russia, which continues to sell heavy weapons to its close Arab friend,
of failing to "uphold human rights" by backing the government's military
offensive, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives across the
country. Al Jazeera's Neave Barker reports from Moscow on the enduring
alliance between the two countries.

Marwan Bishara, Al
Jazeera's senior political analyst, talks about the situation in Syria
after one Arab monitor quit the team saying "the mission was a farce".
Bishara says: "The sort of individual declarations by [Arab League]team
members is not exactly the most professional thing I have seen before."
"If the observers' mission fails because the violence continues, then
this is another reason why the Arabs and their allies could go to
Security Council." "In the worst case scenario, if they fail in the
coming weeks or days, it goes to the Security Council in a far stronger
way," he said.

(Reuters) - More than 200 people were killed in shelling by Syrian
forces in the city of Homs, activists said on Saturday, as the U.N.
Security Council prepared to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab
call for President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.Death tolls cited by activists
and opposition groups ranged from 217 to 260, making the Homs attack the
deadliest so far in Assad's crackdown on protests which erupted 11
months ago, inspired by uprisings that overthrew three Arab leaders.Residents
said Syrian forces began shelling the Khalidiya neighborhood at around 8
p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) on Friday using artillery and mortars. They said at
least 36 houses were completely destroyed with families inside."We
were sitting inside our house when we started hearing the shelling. We
felt shells were falling on our heads," said Waleed, a resident of
Khalidiya.As news of the violence
spread, a crowd of Syrians stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo in
protest, and rallies broke out outside Syrian missions in Britain, Germany and the United States.It
was not immediately clear what had prompted Syrian forces to launch
such an intense bombardment, just as diplomats at the Security Council
were discussing the draft resolution supporting the Arab League demand
for Assad to step aside.Some
activists said the violence was triggered by a wave of army defections
in Homs, a stronghold of protests and armed insurgents who Assad has
vowed to crush."The death toll is
now at least 217 people killed in Homs, 138 of them killed in the
Khalidiya district," Rami Abdulrahman, head of the British-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, told Reuters, citing witnesses."Syrian
forces are shelling the district with mortars from several locations,
some buildings are on fire. There are also buildings which got
destroyed."A Syrian activist said
Assad forces bombarded Khalidiya, a key anti-Assad district, to scare
other rebel neighborhoods. "It does not seem that they get it. Even if
they kill 10 million of us, the people will not stop until we topple
him."The opposition Syrian
National Council said 260 civilians were killed, describing it as "one
of the most horrific massacres since the beginning of the uprising in Syria".It
added that it believed Assad's forces were preparing for similar
attacks around Damascus and in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.Another
group, the Local Coordination Committees, gave a death toll of over
200. It is not possible to verify activist or state media reports as
Syria restricts independent media access.Video
footage on the Internet showed at least eight bodies assembled in a
room, one of them with the top half of its head blown off. A voice on
the video said the bombardment was continuing as the footage was filmed.One activist said residents were using primitive tools to rescue the people. They feared many were buried under rubble."We
are not getting any help, there are no ambulances or anything. We are
removing the people with our own hands," he said, adding there were only
two field hospitals treating the wounded. Each one had a capacity to
deal with 30 people, but he estimated the total number of wounded at
500."We have dug out at least 100 bodies so far, they are placed in the two mosques."U.N. VOTEAt
the United Nations, the Security Council was due to meet at 10 a.m.
(1500 GMT) to vote on a draft resolution endorsing an Arab League plan
calling for Assad to resign.It was unclear if Russia, which has opposed significant council action on Syria would vote in favor, abstain or veto it.Western
diplomats in New York said the latest violence might make it more
difficult for Russia to block it. "Would they dare, with what is
happening in Homs?" one diplomat told Reuters.The
British U.N. mission posted on Twitter: "After the horror in Homs
Friday (it is) vital all Council members back (the) resolution".Russia
has balked at any language that would open to door to "regime change"
in Syria, its crucial Middle East ally where Moscow operates a naval
base.In Cairo, a crowd stormed the
Syrian embassy smashing furniture and setting fire to parts of the
building in protest over the Homs bloodshed.The
gate of the embassy was broken and furniture was smashed on the second
floor of the building, a Reuters witness said. It was the second attack
on the mission in a week.In
London, more than 100 Syrians hurled stones at the Syrian embassy,
smashing windows and shouting slogans, and five people were arrested
after trying to break in, according to TV reports.In Washington, about 50 people took part in a nighttime rally outside Syria's embassy, chanting "Down with Assad".Some
carried signs including one that juxtaposed pictures of Assad and Adolf
Hitler. "We want to show solidarity with the people in Syria being
killed every day," said Mohammad Kousha, a Syrian living in Washington.In
the cities of Hama and Idlib, activists said hundreds of people took to
the streets in solidarity. They chanted in Idlib: "Homs is bombarded,
and you are still sleeping?"(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans in Beirut, Louis Charbonneau at the UN, Ahmed el-Shimy in Cairo, Katharine Jackson in Washington; Editing by Maria Golovnina)